New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-31
READY TO GIVE LECTURES
THE COMING SEASON FULL OF PROMISE

Tho coming lecture season promises to be highly
successful. Not In years has the outlook been 20
favorable it Ia 30 suspicious Is IL that there 10
to think . genuine reaction In favor Of the
o of entertainment has SGT In at last
This docs not imrly that there IL to be repetition
of that popularity which prevsiled dozen years ago
when lecturing we'll nigh public craze and
almost every lawyer, clergyman or school teacher who
could face an audience was a,sliing around the
country a. q full-fedged opponent OF some "ism,"
idea or theory All this has passed away lite revival
not possible. The public tasts too DISCRIMINATING
to allow repetition. For any lecturers except
those of tho first order there 10 little If any ct
present But for those who able 10 meet the de-
msnds of the public for those with the requisite
ability 10 entertain and instruct popular, scientific
or religious audience. there ID widespread, urgent
and growing demand all over the country. visit to
any OF the prominent lecture bureaus, Major Ponds
tor instance will illustrate the truth OF this statement
The Majors Offices at the Everett House In Union
Square, There he nay be found almost every day
now with his coat off, hard at work laying out routes
and arranging dates fol the hundred or more ectur-
ers readers and other public entertainers whose
fortunes he will guide this season.
aNo, this does not look much like vacation" he
said in response his visitors remark yesterday as he
pushed aside pile of letters from all over ;be Union
and dropped his work for awhile. but IL can't be
helped Busy 10 no name for It. Why, 1t seems like
old times again. Yes, sir the lecture course has once
more resumed ts place and the outlook tor good ec-
this year is really exoeeut better in fact, than
II has been In years."
" What Is the cause of thisiS
"welI, I'll have 10 go back little to Explain. Tho
lecture business somewhat ovordone ten or
twelve years ago. Then everybody who could talk
was at IL and had no trouble finding audiences. But
after q whiie the reaction came. People grow tired
and began to look around for some other form of
entertainment This they fodnd In the light operas of
Gilbert and Sullivan, Which by of their bright
attractive and inoiensive character found their way
into the country towns and we're witnessed by relie
ious people who not theatre-gosrs and who had
previously depended for their mental recreation mainly
on lectures.
These operas and others like them had big sue.
cess. of course They supplsnted the lecture to o
great extent, 90 that for Awbe about the only
who would draw q popular audience were Beeoher
G,u Oh, TalnsgN, Mark Twain and lngersoll. These
were always OF good houses. especially Bceeher,
who had unqucstonably the greatest value az lect
ursr that is he drew larger nnd higher priced audi
ences than any other that this country has yet
produced Aside from these, however, there was
little demand The lecture business became stsgnant
nd 40 continued until the people have begun at last
to tire ut the ,perac trash that has been served up
for them Now they are looking tor more substantial
entertainment and, as natural result, the lecture
course has come into fashion again. This Ia the
ali over the country The demand Is almost in
Of the supply, though we have quite FORMIDABLE, Inst
of nstrious speakers"
This remark led to general discussion of the vari-
Major Pond said al think DR.. TaImags is about as
popular lecturer we have now. In the South and
the far West he always draws iarpe houses as Mr..
Beecher and in some places he was really greater
attraction. Cable whe perhaps made as great plat
form success as has ide Ia the last years,
10 perhaps engaged as much by colleges AID literary
societies any OF letters that have. Here Ii
Q letter that has just como from a Young Mems
Christian Association asking to have him for ten
nights. He longer sings those Creole melodies
with his lectures This has essened his value In some
places but the better class Of people like the change
LYMAN Abbott's platform value 10 increasing daily
with educational and religious people. He is as
strong to-day as any religious mau have The
Rev. DIR. John Hall. OF this city, II he could Only be
induced to lecture. would prove great attraction
should be very glad to give him or Phillips Brooks
$500 u night for City nights. Another man whose
success would unquestonAby be great Is the Rev. DR.
r. s. Storrs OF Brooklyn. could we'll afford to give
him $500 night The religious public would like to
hear these great pulpit orators, especially Brooks
There are great many inquiries coming In for Felix
Adler He 10 going out but what his success will be
on the platform cannot say"
Major Pm 4 did not seem 70 have a high opinoa OF
tho Rev. Joseph Cook. lie referred to him asa
paltform crank whose trail among the literary societies
where he had lectured was strewn with disasters
Mr. Cook, he thought, Is over the heads Of the public
and no speculator would think OF guaranteeing him
large sum for an, number Of nights Mark IVAN, he
said, could make lots OF money II he could only DO
induced to go on ths road But he WON'T" said the
veteran manager In o tone OF regret, he Is dead
against It, Not long siuce he wrote mo that he had
resolved never again to plant bis hoof platform
At present he pays $1J0 year just to tell people
so.
@Dan Dougherty, of Philadelphia. is q standard
platform man. He Is In great demsnd everywhere.
bat he can't be got away tar from Philadelphia III
Stanley the African explorer had remained here Last
year think he would have had the greatest success
that any lecturer mad In this country There
was q greater general demand tor him than for any
man that 1 can recall Missionary geogrs phioal,
scientific religious and every other kind OF society
wanted him and so did the general public. II will
have Just a. great and even greater success, how
ever, next year, II the brave fellow lives Ia return.
Of astronomical lecturers Garrett p Serviss stands
in the front rank. He is much Proctors superior
"a Proctor ahead of those Who preceded him.
Tbis season Seryiss will lecture before the Peabody
Institute In Baltimore.
The Rev. William H. Mflburn, the Blind Man
Eloquent has como back from Europe tor tour this
sS.r Arthur a. MoWbrsy the Indian traveller who
made such success last season. has returned from o
foreign trip and will lecture again this winter. There
ia quito a demand on the part OF lyceums tor s. g.
w. Benjamin. His illustrated discourse on Persia
took w. He will also appear this season before the
Baltimore Peabody Institute the greatest lyceum in
America John Fiske has given up lccturng, but
George Makopeace Towe, who 10 next II not equal In
value Fiske will give courses OF lectpres famous
men ana women OF our day, historical per,onages
foreign governments the great movements OF our
times and miscellaneous subjects. ] think that
Thomas Stevens. who ven. around the world a
BICYCLE IL going to meet with In speaking bs.
fore the wheelmen and athletic GLASS of the country
SO will Professor Edwin f. Shaw, lAto instructor Of
sparrng at Harvaid. who Is going to talk physical
culture, beginning In this city. Thu is quite field
now In this country.
@Speaking of ne " reminds me OF Editor Grady
of Atlanta Since he made his hit at the New Eng
dinner there has been quite demand for him, larger
in tact than no Will be able TO supply this year. at
least account OF his Newspaper work Nast's
health has caused him and the public many disap-
pontm nts. l III not certain whether he will go on
the road this year. by the way, did you know that
Mast with exception, made the most money the
platform that ever made In single year in this
country Well It Is tact He cleared IN the season
once made $42 900. But A" Peck" Judge and the
other illustrated papers nave been the death of car
toon lectures. Bill Nye, who consider the legitimate
successor OF Artenrus Ward Is also getting up ect-
ure that will take, am certain"
Yout ried tn petD r o(s